Boot or shoe stretcher



(No Model.)

J. DONOVAN.

B0011 ORSHOE sTRBToHER.

Patented Deo. 28 1886.

, owdr) dllafzey.

fer

Vter than is now in ordinary use.

`o in the toe-pieces A B, thereby permitting it to rock and the rear end ofthe screw Eto be UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN DONOVAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOT OR SHOE -STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,006, dated December 28, 1886.

Application filed June 9, 18H6. Serial No. 204,567. (No model.)

To all whoml it may concern:

. Be it known that I, J OHN DONOVAN, of Boston, in the county of Suiiolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lasts, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, andY eXact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make andmuse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved last, one of the toe-pieces being represented as removed and the other shown in side elevation; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the last with both toe-pieces in position for use; Fig. 3, a vertical transverse section taken on line a a in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 a side elevation of one of the toe-pieces detached.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the dift`erent`gures of the drawings.

My invention more especially relates-to that class of lasts which are employed for stretching boots and shoes; and it consists in anovelv construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a moreeffective and otherwise desirable article of this charac- 'lhe nature and operationof. the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation. y

In the drawings, A B represent the toe-pieces; C, the main heel-piece; E, the stretchingscrew, and IzI the auxiliary heel-piece. The toe-pieces are hinged together at x, and pro vided at their rear ends with a nut, m, for the screw E. Thenutm is journaled on trnnnions raised and lowered, as occasion may require. A threaded stud, J, projects laterally from the inner face of the toe-piece A, said stud being provided with an elongated nut, K, adapted to enter a socket, a, in the piece B. A plate, N, provided with an elongated slot, t, is tted to slide on the inner face of the toe-piece B, said plate being kept lin proper position by the screw i, and adapted to close the socket z, and

`be employed for this purpose.

prevent the nut K from entering the same, as occasion requires.

rIhe screw E is provided with a Wheel or ro sette, M, to enable it to be readily turned, its rear endv being journaled in a gib or step, t, which is .fitted to slide vertically on the inner face of the heel-piece C. The auxiliary heelpiece H is larger than the piece O, and is designed to be employed in addition to the lastnained piece when thelast is usedY for stretching a large boot or shoe.-

In the use of my improvement the nut K is turned onto or off the stud J, as the case may be, until the toepieces A B are properly ad'- justed, after which the last is inserted in the shoe and the screw E turned to force the toepieces forward until it is properly stretched.

When itis required to separate the toe-pieces to a greaterextent than can be accomplished by means of a nut, K, entering the socket z, the plate N is moved to close said socket, thus preventing the nut from entering the same.

The heel-piece O is provided with a boss or projection, f, to lessen the bearing-surfaces between the heel-pieces, and also to enable the piece C to adjust itself readily to the auxiliary piece H when the outer end of the screw E is depressed. When the piece H is not used, a heel-piece, C, on which the boss f is omitted, may be employed.

A price-card, Q, may be inserted in the upper portion of the heel-piece C when the last is used to keep the boot'or shoe in proper shape while being exhibited'in ashow window or case, if desired.

I do not confine myself to closing thesocket z by means of the plate N, as other means may Neither do I confine myself to the use of the step or gib t2, asthe same may be omitted,lif desired, although I deem it preferable to use it.

Having thus explained'my invention, whatl I. In a last forv stretching boots and shoes, the combination ofthe following instru mentalities, to wit: two toepieces adapted to be inserted in the fore part of the boot or shoe, said toe-pieces being hinged together at their rear ends and provided with a rocking or jou rnaled nut, a stretching-screw working in said nut, a heel-piece adapted to be inserted in the heel portion of the boot or shoe and to receive the end-thrust of said stretching-screw, said toepieces being provided with means for adjustably sepa rating their free ends, substantially as described.

2. In a last for stretching boots or shoes, two toepieces' hinged together at their rear ends, one of said toe-pieces being provided with a laterally-projecti ng threaded. stud and a nut adapted to fit said stud, and the other with a socket adapted to receive said nut, and means for closingsaid socket,substantially as set-forth.

3. In a stretching-last for boots or shoes, the toe-piece B, provided wlth the socket z, and sliding plate N, in combination with the toepiece A, provided with the stud J' and nut K, subst-antiall y as described.

4. The heelpiece C, in combination with the screw E, nut m, and hinged toe-pieces A B, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The heel-piece C, provided with the boss shoes herein described, the saine consisting of 3o the toepiece A, provided with the stud Jand nut k, the toe-piece B, provided with the socket z and sliding plate N, the screw E, pro- -vded with the gib or step t2 'and rosette M,

the heel-piece C, nut m, and hinge gv, con,- structed, combined, and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

JOHN DONOVAN.

v Vitnesses:

C. A. SHAW, E. L. SAWYER. 

